Football Manager burnout isn’t something I ever expected. I used to live and breathe the game, but one day… it just stopped clicking.

There was a time when Football Manager wasn’t just a game I played. It was a hobby that turned into a habit. Then a habit that turned into a passion. Some people wind down by scrolling aimlessly on their phones; I fired up a save and lost hours building something special.

It became part of my daily routine. Loading up FM after I finished work and scrolling through scout reports to find the next Serbian wonderkid who would lead my team to glory. It wasn’t just about playing matches; it was a long-term project, the structure, the challenge of building a club season by season.

But now, for the first time in years, I’m not playing Football Manager. And what’s more surprising than that? The fact I don’t really miss it.

This isn’t a dramatic goodbye or a rage-quit kind of post. It’s more of a hiatus that happened naturally, and for now, I’m okay with that.

In October 2024, I was invited to visit Sports Interactive for the official launch of women’s football in FM. It was a huge moment for both me and the game, and one I’d been waiting for for years. Seeing the data behind it, the work going into it, and the potential – it was exciting. It felt like something big, not just for the studio but for the wider community too.

But a few months later, everything changed.

First FM25 was delayed. Then it was completely cancelled. The release I’d been building my content plans around no longer existed. FM24, already meant to be the final game on the old engine, was suddenly… it.

And since then, I haven’t really gone back.

Football Manager hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s still a great game, and if someone asked me if they should buy it, I’d still say yes. The depth is still there. The feeling when you make a tactic click is still satisfying. The thrill of winning the Champions League with a team you brought up from the depths of non-league? Still unmatched.

I think my relationship with the game changed without me noticing. At first, I wasn’t as excited about new saves. Then I stopped rushing to play every evening. Eventually, weeks passed without opening the game at all.

I thought I was just busy, that I’d soon come back to planning content or hunting for the next save idea. But I didn’t.

And slowly I realised this break from FM24 wasn’t temporary.

I think part of the lethargy I’m feeling is that FM itself is between chapters.

FM24 was billed as the end of an era. The last release on the current game engine. It wasn’t trying to be groundbreaking; it was just saying goodbye.

FM25 was supposed to kick off something new: a new engine, fresh features, and a big leap forward for women’s football finally getting proper representation.

But then it got cancelled, and the usual buzz around a new release didn’t happen. And without that new buzz, it’s hard to feel connected even for those who live and breathe Football Manager.

This isn’t a criticism; it’s an observation. When the game is on pause, it’s easier to take a step back, and once you’ve done that, it takes something big to pull you back in.

And if I do come back, it’ll be for FM26… if women’s football is finally included properly. I don’t want it as a half-hearted afterthought; I need it to be in-depth. I need new challenges, pathways and leagues.

That’s what I’m excited for; that’s what I want to create content around. Managing in developing leagues. Building a career around real women’s teams. Seeing wonderkids that haven’t existed in FM before. That’s what’s going to make the game feel fresh to me again.

And it’s also the kind of thing that could bring new players into the community, people who’ve never seen themselves represented in the game before. That matters to me; I want more girls and women to feel like they’re part of this space.

Even though I’m not playing, I haven’t given up on making the occasional bit of FM content.

You might still see a thread about save ideas. Or a post about players to watch. Or a quiet update to the women’s football section of my website. Just enough to keep a toe in the water, without forcing myself to deep-dive into a save that I’m not feeling.

That balance feels healthier. And it gives me something to build on when the time is right again.

If you’re reading this and you’re in the same spot where you used to love FM but now you’re not really feeling it, I just want to say: that’s okay. You don’t have to force it.

FM will still be there when you’re ready. And if you’re never ready? That’s okay too. You can be part of the community in different ways. You can explore other games. You can create other things.

The love for Football Manager doesn’t have to be constant to be real.

Right now, I’m not loading up FM. I’m not setting up scouting assignments or stressing about match sharpness. And that’s also okay.

Because I know what the game has given me over the years. It’s helped me learn. Helped me create. Helped me connect with people I never would’ve met otherwise.

And that’s not nothing.

If FM26 delivers on what I think it can, especially around women’s football, I’ll be there on day one with a save idea and a new spreadsheet.

Until then, I’m just giving myself permission to enjoy other things.

The best saves might still be ahead. But I’m not in a rush to find them.